The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 18, 1902. KRUGER.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 698, 18 December 1902, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 18, 1902. KRUGER.

A book that, has been anticipated with a great deal of interest is Kruger's memoirs. The work cannot be

described as disappointing ; it gives muon that is of interest in regard to Kruger himself, and it is in regard to the personality of the man, rather

than from the historical poml of view, the 'Volk is to lie regarded. Copious extracts have been given by liie Condon 'l imes, showing the lines upon which tile memoirs are laid. Tiie record of struggles of the emigrant.'} who formed the (treat Trek (when Kruger was nine years old) are of special value. 'I lie story of a wonderlui escape from death shows that Kruger was limiting with a comrade named Thctinissen, and had made an agreement Unit the first who showed either recklessness or cowardice should receive a sound thrashing. They came across three white rhinoceros in the course of the day. and started off in pursuit. Overtaking one, Kruger dismounted, in spite of a warning from Ins comrade, and ran past the beast. The rest must bo toid in Mr Kruger’s own words. “ .She had scarcely caught sight of me when she started.in hot pursuit. I allowed her to come within a distance of three or four yards. Wlien I bred, the percussion cap refused, and there "'as no time lor a sccond shot. The animal was close upon me, and there was nothing, to in done bm to turn and run for dear in'e. In attempting to do so, my foot struck against a thorn-root, and I came down Hat on my lace. I lie beast was upon me : the dangerous horn just, missed my hack. She pinned me to the ground with her snout, intending to trample me to death. But at that moment I turned under her, and got the contents of the second, barrel full under the shoulder-blade, right into the heart. I owed my life to not letting go of my gun. My brother-in-law hurried up to me as fast as he could. When he saw that I was standing up safe and sound, he took iiis sjambok, and, according to contract, commenced to belabor me soundly. Good words and attempts to justify my conduct were thrown away oh him ; 1 had to take my hiding. But it was the iirsi and last time that lie had occasion to thrash me.”

We have here,'remarks the H.B. Herald, from which we' quote, a picture of the daring hunter, the man enured to danger and hardship from his youth up, who had learned in the school of experience to keep his head cool ill an emergency. Kot.less remarkable is the story of his dealings with the natives. The same cool daring which carried him through his encounter with wild beasts stood him in good stead when the Boers came into conflict with the Basutos and the Kaffirs. On one occasion, he tells us. be crept in the dark into a cavern in wnioh some hundreds of Kaffirs, men, women, and children, had taken refuge, and speaking in their own language, persuaded them to surrender. failed, but he got n icathless from his perilous attempt. Knows

j in width Krugnr earned ids reputation as I v»u. o. Sir Tiiei'phiiU' Siiepstuiie in IsTo. j the interna! weakness oi tilt Republic bet ate bead to Constitute a danger to the | lhiiUh possessions in South Aiiica. The i latur portion of the memoirs deals with j events that are fresh in the memory of u? j all, and these are, as might be expected, I the least satisfactory. His picture of j Cecil Rhodes shows that he has none of | tile toleration which marked his great rival. ‘-Cecil Rhodes was the curse of j South Africa. He represented capital. No matter how base, no matter how conI teinptibic. be it lying, bribery, or treachery, | all and everv means were v.eicomc- to him i it tr.ey would And to the attainment of j iiis ambitious desires." ILL is, of course,

unjust. It is cuii us to compare the great dreams which were continually passing through the brain of the Englishman with the narrow parochial views of the Boer. And it would be possible without much trouble to exhibit Mr Kruger in a light which would show him not above using the arts of treachery, bribery, and deceit.

Lord Milner, again, gets short shrift from the c-x-lTesident, " This tool uf Chamberlain's lias carried out his mission faithfully, and to-day enjoys the satisfaction of having turned South Africa into a wilderness and robbed thousands oi' innocent people of their lives. Lord Milner is a typical Jingo, autocratic beyond endurance, and filled with contempt for all 'that is not English." ft was evidently a case of two strong wills meeting, and the man who went to the wall is still smarting under a sense of defeat. But it is well to recognise timet we should all feci as Mr let tiger feels were we Boers instead of Englishmen. In the time to come it is possible that these memoirs will take their place with Livingstone's travels, as one of the classics of African literature.